[Publib] Defibrillators

[Angela Antzak]

Defibrillators walk you through the whole procedure of even CPR...telling 
you when to do compressions, and detecting pulse and the whole bit.  They 
sense when there is a need to shock, and will indeed not let you do it when 
there isn't.  It senses the heart rhythm.

I'm a member of my local fire dept., and am CPR, First Aid, and AED (Defib) 
trained.  Staff should indeed be trained, and ours are.

However, I feel I should mention something.  I understand the fear of using 
it, and possibly hurting someone worse, but as someone previously pointed 
out, if they are in need of defib, then technically they are dead already, 
and won't hurt them worse.  However, after 911 is called, if there is a 
defib available, it should be immediately used.  Brain cells begin to die, 
and after I believe 10 mins., they are unrecoverable.  Depending on the 
location of your ambulance squad, traffic, and other factors,  sometimes it 
can take that long to get there from the dept. house.

So don't be afraid to use it if available.  You can do way more help than 
harm, and again as someone pointed out, by trying to help, you won't be 
liable.  Good Samaritan laws prevent that from being abused.

Good luck.


Angie Antzak
Youth Services Coordinator
Plattekill Public Library
2047 State Route 32
Modena NY, 12548
845-883-7286
Web Site :  http://plattekill.lib.ny.us
Book Blog : http://plattekilllibrary.wordpress.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/plattekill_library





>From: "James Casey" <jcasey at oaklawnlibrary.org>
>To: "Edward Trever" <etrever at lincolncounty.org>,"PUBLIB" 
><publib at webjunction.org>
>Subject: RE: [Publib] Defibrillators
>Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 08:52:31 -0600
>
>Some of our local Villages require Library personnel to be trained on
>the defibrillators and others (like Oak Lawn) have insisted that Library
>staff NOT use such devices and simply call 911 ASAP so that trained
>professionals can use them properly.  Ed's statement below makes a lot
>of sense to me.  Library staff may mistake an epileptic seizure or bad
>reaction from some drug for a heart attack and end up doing more damage
>than good. Our own Emergency and Special Situation Manual focuses on
>calling 911 first and not intervening personally when emergencies occur.
>
>
>
>
>James B. Casey ---- My own views
>
>Director of Oak Lawn Public Library
>
>ALA Council Member
>
>
>
>________________________________
>
>From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
>[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Edward Trever
>Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 12:23 PM
>To: PUBLIB
>Subject: Re: [Publib] Defibrillators
>
>
>
>At my last library, I also had a trainer who said this.  Unfortunately
>it's not the dead person I am worried about killing.  It may be maiming
>the live person that I am performing untrained medical proceduers on.
>
>
>
>We only had one mass three-hour training and could have had no
>individualized practice if we had no incentive to do so.  Once the
>defibrillators were in place we had no more training.  I am very wary of
>such a practice with no truly trained personnel.
>
>
>
>Ed Trever
>Lincoln County Library Director
>306 W. Main St.
>Lincolnton, NC 28092
>(704) 735-8044
>Fax (704) 732-9042
>


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